Is it better to use an App or the Website?

Is it better to use an App or the Website | Simplifying Your Needs

The most crucial question that badgers most of the entrepreneurs would certainly be whether to go for a website, web app or a mobile app for their respective businesses. Especially the people who are planning to use this form of platform for the very first time to promote their business. Well, it’s absolutely essential to choose the right platform for your initial MVP along with understanding the reason behind choosing it.

With the influx of smartphones in the past few years, the mobile-first business model has been one of the top trending things in this domain, however, on the other hand, it is being said that the app influx has started to influence the users tendency to use apps (users has started to use a maximum of 3 apps and this also implies that users are still using desktops).

Being a new business owner this decision is something that might overwhelm you i.e. whether you will be able to add value to your business as well as provided value-added services to your customers through a mobile app or a web app. Well, read on below to find out when you should go for mobile app development and when for a web app.

Knowing your product goals

Given that you are about to launch new services and solutions you obviously would have specific business goals in mind besides the generic profit and making a difference in people’s lives.

For this, you need to be clear about or must validate your app idea followed by a thorough understanding of your target market and their expectations relevant to your specific app idea. Yes, you might have an out-of-the-box idea but you do need to figure out how your target audience will perceive it. Hence, launch an MVP before you devote all your resources in building a full-fledged application. Launching an MVP minimizes the potential risks of releasing a product that is less likely to be successful as well as it might help you in improving the subsequent app features and functionalities all based on users feedback.

And when it comes to deciding whether to go for web or a mobile MVP app, you should consider aspects such as the preference of your target market (conduct market research), knowledge about the competitors and budget constraints.

Target Market Preference: For this, you need to understand your customers and their pattern of online usage. You can use the data that you collected during the development of your MVP as well as gather more relevant data about your current users.

Real-time access

You need to ask yourself whether your app is going to provide real-time access to your users i.e. does it involve more interaction with your users. If yes, then mobile apps will offer more interactive and real-time experience for the users who are generally looking for on-demand and on-the-go services. And maybe after developing an app, you can build a website to target a wider audience base.

More Interaction

If your product is such that involves more interaction (five or six times during the whole day) then going for a mobile app is perhaps a better decision. For example, it’s convenient to book a dinner table by clicking few buttons on a mobile device then to type in details on a website.

See the basic concept behind people wanting to use such apps is that they want access to products and services right away and as they do not want to waste their time by entering URLs and waiting for the website to load. However, before jumping on to developing a mobile app you must reconsider your product goal as well as the circumstantial usage of your product and if it does involve lesser but prolonged interactions you can definitely go with a web app.

Phone’s Native Features

If you want to provide your users with data that is based on their current location as well as if you plan to use features like Camera or Gyroscope then a native app is your answer. Yes, it is possible to use a camera or play games that require gyroscope support but this won’t help you in any way if you are looking to make your end product more stable. Moreover, web apps on iPhone cannot send geo-push notifications or in-app notifications to users. Here, mobile app users can benefit from geo-notifications whereas web app users are in no luck when it comes to sending geo-notifications.

However, the catch here with mobile apps is that if you are developing for both iOS and Android you have to draw out two separate budgets for them and this would only add to the overall development cost. On the other hand, a web app can be accessed from any mobile or desktop OS. Still, when you decide to develop a full-featured web app it will certainly cost you more than building a mobile app for any one platform.

Offline Use

Even though we live in a world where we have affordable Internet connectivity there are still many instances where it is not possible to find a proper internet connection. For example, while traveling (on a plane or a train) to some place or in remote areas. And if you want to serve your users for such instances (basically for offline use), then a mobile app is what you need to go for.

Lastly, before you develop a mobile app or a website remember to consider the platform that will add value to your users’ experience as well as the revenue associated with both the mobile app and the website. And when you do this remember to keep your users at the center and then take the necessary decision of developing any one of them.

Mr. Jay Patel is the Founder and CEO of Vrinsoft PTY LTD – a globally recognized software and mobile app development and IT consulting company. With 10+ years of experience in the IT industry, he has acquired the required expertise in the domain of project coordination, business development, dealing with global clients, etc. and has also published many blogs and articles on latest web-based technology, development tips, and mobility solutions.